28 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



Give the Roads Fair Play. 



[From the New York Times, February 23. 1917.] 



Now that the country can he fed and 

 warmed only by special train-loads of 

 coal and food, the railway situation is 

 visible to all but the blind. The situ- 

 ation is too serious to be dealt with m a 

 nagging spirit. It would be easy to 

 trace blame to the railways or to the 

 Interstate Commerce Commission, as 

 manv are doing. It would be easy for 

 them to defend themselves by pointing 

 to the laws. That throws the blame 

 hack upon those who elected the law- 

 makers and supported them in the pol- 

 icy which it may be hoped is now cul- 

 minating. Placing the blame for the 

 past is not a remedy. What is needed 

 is a forward-looking policy which shall 

 correct the errors of the past. In that 

 aspect the crisis has its uses, and they 

 are proportioned to its seriousness. 

 Once it was necessary to correct rail- 

 way abuses and convince the compan- 

 ies' that they are subject to the law. 

 They are as humble now as ever they 

 were arrogant, and are suppliants rather 

 than dictators. It was also necessary 

 to convince the Interstate Commerce 

 Commission that something besides 

 "power" and "orders" is necessary. 1 he 

 best of intentions have met obstacles 

 in execution of a sort which ought to 

 give the Commission a feeling of sym- 

 pathy with the railways in a task more 

 difficult than has been appreciated. The 

 lawmakers also have fallen below their 

 intentions and the expectation of the 

 railway haters. Largely that, too, was 

 because of the difficulties of the case. 

 The explanation of the people's share 

 of the blame for misdirected legislation 

 and administration is the same. Now 

 even the people must see that they 

 are punishing themselves over the rail- 

 ways' shoulders. Only experience 

 could have produced this frame of 

 mind. If the educational process is 

 now complete, a great first step toward 

 a new departure has been taken, and 

 the outlook may be regarded hopefully. 

 Assuming that all concerned are in 

 a regenerated frame of mind, probably 

 there will be no dissent from the prop- 

 osition that the root of the trouble is 

 the lack of funds for the railways to 

 use in the public service. Within a 

 few days the New York Central has 

 had to abandon its plan for an issue of 



stock, and the Southern Railway has 

 been unable to issue bonds. If such 

 railways cannot finance themselves, 

 what is the prospect for others in less 

 leading positions? 



There is just one way to enable the 

 railways to finance themselves. They 

 must be allowed profits large enough 

 to attract the capital to enable them to 

 serve the public. In the old days there 

 was danger that liberality in funds in- 

 vited waste of resources for service and 

 danger to investors. For the present 

 that chapter must be regarded as 

 closed. 



Resignation of President Elliott. 



It is with sincere regret that we 

 learn of President Elliott's resignation 

 of the presidency of the New York, 

 New Haven and Hartford Railroad 

 Company. Every New Englander, es- 

 pecially "every Connecticutian, is an ad- 

 mirer 'of President Elliott's work and 

 has genuine sympathy with him in the 

 overwhelming mass of work with 

 which he has struggled. He has not 

 had one obstacle nor half a dozen but a 

 long list of most perplexing problems 

 that would tax any man's energies to 

 the utmost. No wonder that he has 

 concluded that, for the interest of his 

 family and of himself, it is his duty to 

 lav down at least a part of the load. 

 He will continue as a director as long 

 as is desired, and will in every way 

 contribute toward the prosperity of the 



road. 



Mr Pearson, the newly elected presi- 

 dent has had an extended experience 

 in railroad matters. He is a man of 

 marked ability in the prune of life. 

 Everv one that loves the New York. 

 New' Haven and Hartford Railroad, 

 and is proud of it as a feature of New 

 England, feels that no better selection 

 could have been made. 



The House Wren. 



BY EUGENE SECOR, FOREST CITY, IOWA. 



A round of bubbling feathered song, 

 A dress not made for show, 



A cheerful spirit all day long- 

 That keeps my heart aglow. 



A friend to man that never tires, 



That hunts the garden o'er, 

 And by its useful life inspires 

 The soul to seek, not soar. 



